What Shall the Newcomer Do if He Finds the Imam in Sajdah?

Darulifta Ahlesunnat

(Dawateislami)

Question

   What do the respected scholars say regarding the following: If one comes to join the Jama’at and finds the Imam in Sajdah, what should he do? Should he join the Imam in Sajdah immediately or wait for him to stand to join the Jama’at? Some people wait till the Imam stands to join. Is this the correct method?

بِسْمِ اللہِ الرَّحْمٰنِ الرَّحِیْمِ

اَلْجَوَابُ بِعَوْنِ الْمَلِکِ الْوَھَّابِ اَللّٰھُمَّ ھِدَایَۃَ الْحَقِّ وَالصَّوَابِ

   For those joining the Jama’at late, if they find the Imam in Sajdah, it is Mustahab for them not to wait for the Imam to stand, but rather they should join him in Sajdah. Though they will get the reward of performing the Sajdah, this Rak’ah won't be obtained because to obtain the Rak’ah, one must join the Imam in Ruku’.

   The rule about reciting Sana after Takbeer-e-Tahrimah in the above-mentioned situation is that if the Imam is in the first Sajdah and one has the overwhelming assumption that he will be able to recite Sana and join the Imam in Sajdah, then it is preferred that he recite Sana. But if one assumes that if he recites Sana, he won’t be able to join the Imam in Sajdah, or the imam is in the second Sajdah, it is better to join him in Sajdah without reciting Sana.

   Encouraging the newcomers to join the Imam in Sajdah, it is mentioned in a Hadith:

”إذا جئتم الى الصلاة ونحن سجود ‌فاسجدوا، ولا تعدوها شيئا“

   Translation: When you arrive at the salah and find us in the position of Sajdah, perform Sajdah but don’t regard it as anything.(Sunan Abi Dawood, Chapter about what a man should do when he finds the Imam in Sajdah, Vol. 2, p. 167, Publ. Dar al-Rasail al-‘Ilmiyyah)

   Explaining the above-mentioned Hadith, ‘Allama Badr al-Din ‘Ayni رحمه الله states:

قوله: لا تعدوه اي لا تعدوا تلك السجدة شيئا و المعنى انها لا تحسب بركعة

   Translation: The statement “don’t regard it as anything” means, don’t consider the Rak’ah complete.(Sharah Sunan Abi Dawood, Vol. 4, p. 104, Publ. Riyadh)

   Another hadith goes as far as to say that the Imam should be joined, whichever position he may be in. Such as the Hadith in Jami’ al-Tirmizi, The Holy Prophet صلى الله عليه و سلم said:

قال النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم ‌اذا ‌اتى ‌احدكم ‌الصلاة والامام على حال فليصنع كما يصنع الإمام

   Translation: When any of you comes for salah, any position the imam is in, this person should do what the imam is doing.”(Jami’ al-Tirmizi, Chapter about what he said about a man who finds the imam in Sajdah and what he should do, Vol. 1, p. 586, Publ. Dar al-Gharb al-Islami, Beirut)

   After mentioning this Hadith, Imam Tirmizi رحمه الله states:

والعمل على هذا عند أهل العلم. قالوا: إذا جاء الرجل والإمام ساجد فليسجد ولا تجزئه تلك الركعة إذا فاته الركوع مع الإمام

   Translation: The people of knowledge act upon this. The scholars say, “If one comes and the Imam is in Sajdah, he should also join the Imam in Sajdah though this Rak’ah isn’t complete because he didn’t join the imam in Ruku’.”(Sunan Tirmizi, Chapter of what he said about a man who finds the imam in Sajda and what he should do, Vol. 1, p. 586, Publ. Dar al-Gharb al-Islami, Beirut)

   In the commentary of another Hadith which is similar in meaning to this, it is stated in Fath al-Bari and Umdah al-Qari:

فيه استحباب الدخول مع الامام فی ای حالة وجدہ عليها

   Translation: In this hadith, there is proof that it is Mustahab to join the Imam in whichever position he is in. (Umdah al-Qari Sharh Sahih al-Bukhari, Vol. 5, p. 152, Dar al-Fikr, Beirut)(Fath al-Bari Li-Ibn Hajr, Vol. 2, p. 269, Publ. Dar al-M’arifah, Beirut)

   Mentioning the rule about reciting Sana after Takbeer-e-Tahrimah, Sadr al-Shari’ah, Mufti Amjad ‘Ali A’zami رحمه الله states:

امام کو رکوع یا پہلے سجدہ میں پایا، تو اگر غالب گمان ہے کہ ثنا پڑھ کر پالے گا ،تو پڑھے اور قعدہ یا دوسرے سجدہ میں پایا ،تو بہتریہ ہے کہ بغیر ثنا پڑھے شامل ہو جائے۔

   Translation: If one finds the Imam to be in Ruku’ or the first Sajdah, if one has the overwhelming assumption that if he recites Sana, he will be able to join the Imam in the same position, he should do so. If he finds the Imam to be in Q’ada or the second the Sajdah, it is preferred that he joins the Imam's position without reciting Sana. (Bahar-E-Shari’at, Vol. 1, p. 523, Publ. Maktaba-tul-Madinah, Karachi)

وَاللہُ اَعْلَمُ عَزَّوَجَلَّ وَرَسُوْلُہ اَعْلَم صَلَّی اللّٰہُ تَعَالٰی عَلَیْہِ وَاٰلِہٖ وَسَلَّم

(Allah Almighty knows best and His Messenger صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَاٰلِهٖ وَسَلَّم knows best.)

Answered By: Mufti Muhammad Qasim Attari

Ref No: Sar-8660

Date: 22nd Jumad al-Oola 1445 AH/7th December 2023